Sliding-door fastener.



Patented Jan. 23, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

witnesses J. H. SIMONTON. SLIDING DOOR FASTENER- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1911.

Patented J an. 23, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'awgfs.

q/vi-hlcooco UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SIMONTON, OF BRIGHTON, TENNESSEE.

SLIDING-DOOR FASTENER.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, J OHN H. SIMoN'roN,

citizen of the United States, residing at Brighton, in the county of Tipton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding-Door F asteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in door fasteners for sliding doors.

The objects of the same are to provide a strong, simple and effective device of this character wherein the latch member in its idle or unlatched position hangs nearly vertical from its pivotal support, entirely out of the way, andmay then be used to start the door open by a slight lateral movement,

and wherein this member must be turned through nearly three-quarters of a circle in order to engage it with the keeper and draw the door closed.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a freight car showing my improved fastening mechanism 3 applied thereto for fastening the door thereof; Fig; 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the fastening device in released positionv in full lines illustrating the manner in which the latch member of the fastening is employed for startingthe opening movement of the door, and showing in dotted lines the same member as about Y to be engaged with the keeper of the door when the latter is not yet completely closed; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the keeper member of the fastener; Fig. 5 is a front view with the outer plate removed,

of a modified form of keeper; 6 is an edge view of a portion of a door showing an end elevation of themodified form of keeper illustrated in Fig. 5.

My improved fastener. comprises a substantially straight and flat bar 1 forming the latch member or lever, having at. one extremity an ear 3 by which it is pivoted to the door frame or the side of the car, on one edge next to said ear a rounded head t Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1912 Application filed September 7, 1911. Serial No: 648,209. I

2 projecting considerably to one side of the length of the bar, in the other edge opposite said head a rather large notch 5 of some length longitudinally of the bar and extending inward from the edge thereof almost to the medial line of the member, and next to the notch on this edge of the bar a nose 4- projecting therefrom and preferably having its opposite edges inclined as shown, that edge of the nose next to the notch being recessed as shown at 6. The other or pendant end of the bar is made in the form of a straight lever 7 which is provided near its free extremity with an outwardly projecting handle or grip 8 and a similar handleor grip 9 is arranged on the bar adjacent to the nose 4. The handle 9 is provided to facilitate the engagement of the nose with the keeper and the handle 8 is provided for.

the purpose of releasing the latch bar and for breaking the sealwhen the. bar is fastened in this manner. The handle 8 is also used when the. latch bar is employed for starting the opening movement of the door as will be hereinafter more fully described.

On the free end of the lever portion 7 of tion. When it is desired to release the latch bar when fastened with a seal the handle 8 is gripped and the lever end 7 of the latch bar is jerked or violently pulled up, thus breaking the binding wire of the-seal and permitting the lat-ch bar to be swung to it released position.

- The keeper member 13 of the fastener comprises a casing which preferably consists of an inner plate 14 and an outer plate 15, said plates being spaced apart at their ends by spacing blocks 16 and 17 to which the end of the spacing block 17 are preferably.

formed at an angle or are inclined as shown. The upper end of the spacing block 16 has formed on the inner side thereof a catch consisting of a rounded projection or extension 5 in the notched portion 5 of the latch bar.

The recessed portion of the latch bar when thus engaged with the catch 18 of the keeper will draw the doorto a tightly closed position. As hereinbefore stated the recess 6 of the latch bar is disposed below the pivotal connect-ion of the latter so that when said recessed portion is engaged with the catch of "the keeper the latch bar will be positively locked against casual disengagement by any jarring of the door or tendency of the latter 4 to move back to an open position or-in other words the connection between the latch catch beingbelow the pivotal connection any tendency of the door to move back will cause the latch bar to more tightly engage the catch. When the latch bar is swung to a closed position the locking nose 4 enters the space between the lates 14 and 15 of the keeper and effectual y prevents any lateral movement of "the latch bar as will be readily understood.

In the modified form of the keeper shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of thedrawings the plates 19 and 20 thereof are spaced apart and secured to spacing blocks 21 and 22. I In this form of the keeper the block 24 does not extend to .the top of the plates and in place of the rounded projection 18 of the preferred form of the keeper is arranged a catch here made in the form of a roller 25 with which is adapted to be engaged the recessed portion of the latch bar whereby the door is fastened in a closed position.

While the latch bar is herein shown as being applied to the left hand side 'of the door .frame and the keeper to the adjacent portion of'the door it is obvious that the fastener may be applied to the right hand side of the frame and door or that the latch bar may be a plied to the door and the keeper to the oor frame or side of the car instead ofin the positions shown in the drawings. It will be noted that the head 2 on the pivoted end of the latch bar'projects a considerable distance beyond the opposite edge of the bar from the locking device. The head is thus formed to permit the same to be engaged with the outer closed end of the keeper when the latch bar is swung around to the position shown in F ig.' 3 of the drawings wherein the latch bar is employed as a lever for starting the opening movement of the door should the latter become stuck. 1 v

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the.

invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of 4 the invention as claimed.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim is;

The. herein described fastener for sliding doors, the same comprising a keeper secured to the door near its free edge and having a :catch; a latch consisting of a substantially straight bar having an ear at one extremity pivoted to the door frame opposite said keeper, a rounded head projecting from one edge and adapted to engage the outer side of the keeper when the door isnearly closed,

a notch in its other edge opposite said head,

a projecting nose on this edge with a recess on that face opening into the notch and adapted to engage the catch of the keeper when the bar is swung around its pivot, and a'handle at the free end .of said bar; and means on the door and bar for locking the latter when its nose engages said keeper.v

In'testimony whereof I. have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN SIMONTON. J 

